This application generally relates to interactive multimedia distribution systems and, more particularly, to targeting media (such as movies, music, and advertisements) to users.
Advertising is undergoing profound change. Recent technological advancements permit users to “skip” commercials and other targeted media. Video recorders, for example, include technologies to detect and skip commercials. Additionally, users habitually “surf” during commercials breaks, further eroding advertising effectiveness. The entertainment industry's traditional advertising-based model, then, is threatened by technological change. Targeted advertising has thus emerged to customize commercials to user interests, profiles, demographics, and location. These targeted advertisements seek to capture the user's interests and present relevant messages that appeal to the user.
Today's targeted advertisements, however, rely on personal or even private information. A profile is constructed for a user or household, and advertisements are targeted to that profile. The problem with such efforts, however, is that personal or even private information may be revealed or captured. Users often have no control over what information is gathered to build their profile. So, while many people are concerned about maintaining the privacy of personal information, today's current targeted advertising techniques strive to gather as much information as possible. What is needed, then, are methods, systems, and products that target advertising and other media without revealing personal or private information.